Don't Need You
by MicchiKo
Summary: MitRu/RuMit. Rukawa saves Mitsui from a fight... Mitsui can't seem to see Rukawa the same way again...
1. Default Chapter

Title: Don't Need You  
  
Part: 1/5  
  
Author: MicchiKo  
  
E-mail: MicchiKo@aol.com  
  
Genre: Yaoi, Sap, some Violence  
  
Pairings: MitRu/RuMit  
  
Rating: R  
  
Archive: None yet  
  
Notes: My attempt at a quasi-mushy MitRu/RuMit.... ^.^ Also, many many thanks to Diggler for beta reading this. haha... you have *no* idea how much she helped me w/ syntax and articulation...... .  
  
Don't Need You  
  
by MicchiKo  
  
Part One  
  
Winter's coming, Mitsui thought to himself as he looked up at the dark evening sky. He had stayed a bit later at practice that day, but even still, it was only 5:30. He hated the way the hours of daylight decreased during the cold months. With seemingly shorter days, he felt as though he could do less. Not to mention it was always nice to go to the park around 7:00 in the summer; the air cooled down by then and there was still enough light to go about normally. But now… Now there was nothing he could do about it except wait for the season to end.  
  
He took one last glance at the school before he left. The usually bustling building looked abandoned, almost eerie. He shrugged and continued on his way. He began to think about the past month or so. Words couldn't describe how happy he was to be playing basketball again. It was almost like an addiction. When you would stop, you would feel the effects of the withdrawal -- the constant itch that needed to be satisfied. When you picked it up again, you would feel relieved, as if you were finally able to scratch that annoying itch. He thought about his knee. He was glad that the injury wasn't permanent like he thought it was. He would rather have never played basketball to begin with than to be told that he could never play again.  
  
He turned the corner into a dark alley, taking the shortcut to his house that he used every morning and every evening. Lost in his thoughts, he couldn't possibly foresee what was to come. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere a pair of hands grabbed his collar and threw him into a wall. His back struck the brick hard, followed by his head due to the inertia. He felt his brain shake inside his skull from the impact. By instinct, he reached up to rub the back of his head, wincing as the feel of his fingers on the weak flesh stung. He brought down his hand, wondering what the moist substance was. He looked at his hand in horror as he saw it was dyed red. Looking up, he then realized that he was surrounded by five boys.   
  
"Guess our little basketball star ain't so tough anymore." The youth who stood in the middle snickered. He walked over and once again, took Mitsui by the collar. He raised his hands up, choking the Shohoku senior, and then pinned the other boy to the wall. Mitsui cringed; he could feel the blood trickling down the back of his neck. "You may not remember us but we sure as hell remember you." The boy stated. "Do you see this?" He asked, showing his right cheek to Mitsui. Mitsui's eyes widened at the sight of the long scar that ran down the boy's face. Mitsui tried to remember where he had met the boy before but his memory failed him. "You and your little gang gave us a pretty bad beating a while ago. And now..." he said, releasing Mitsui as he reared back. "It's time we returned the favor!" He pulled back his arm and sent his fist flying, right into Mitsui's stomach. Mitsui fell to his knees from the pain. He clutched his stomach, clenching his fists as he recalled his promise to Anzai-sensei to never fight again. He rose to his feet, still somewhat stunned from the hit.  
  
The leader of the group looked at the Point Guard and smirked. "Looks like someone's gotten soft... you're not going to hit me back?" He asked, purposefully trying to provoke the other boy.  
  
"You're not worth my time." Mitsui spat the words. He knew it wasn't the best thing to say. Still he couldn't help but feel somewhat triumphant when he saw the furious look on the other boy's face.  
  
The leader looked around at his fellow companions. "I think someone needs to teach our little basketball star a few manners." He suggested. The four other boys smiled maliciously and nodded in agreement. Once more, Mitsui clenched his fists. Even if he were to fight back, he knew he would not be able to take on five people. He tried in vain to brace himself for what was to come.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Rukawa yawned as he changed back into his school uniform. It had been another day of hard practice. As tired as his body told him he was, he still felt the adrenaline pumping through his veins. He would've practiced until dawn if it weren't for the school closing and the lack of light outside during the late hours. He picked up his duffel bag and left the locker room. Like always, he was the last to leave.   
  
He walked out into the vacant street and headed home. His mind reran the events of the day. As usual, he got into petty fights with Hanamichi. That doaho, he thought to himself when reminded of the redhead. Of course, there was a time when he believed that he had felt something for the other boy. Though, the feeling was as fleeting as the thought. He eventually began to realize that what he felt was more of a fascination than actual affection. Besides, he had no place in the boy's heart anyway; it was being occupied by a certain flirty spiky-haired boy who attended Ryonan High.  
  
He sighed. He couldn't tell why but he suddenly became anxious to get home, even though there was nothing waiting for him there. He began to feel a strange tinge of loneliness creep up on him and the deserted streets only magnified the feeling. He decided he would take a shorter route to his house and turned the corner into a dark alley.  
  
"Not so strong anymore are we? I guess someone's become a good boy now."  
  
Rukawa looked ahead upon hearing voices. Faintly, he could see five figures in the moonlight, their shadows clearly showing what their actions were. They seemed to be beating down on something. When his eyes followed to the center of attention, he could see the dim outline of a body on the ground. He was about to turn around and walk the other way, convincing himself that it was none of his concern.  
  
"Are all you Shohoku basketball boys such wimps?"  
  
Rukawa stopped dead in his tracks. Shohoku basketball? Curiosity got the better of him and he crept closer to see what was going on. The body on the floor, barely recognizable from where he stood, lay on its stomach. The clothes were covered with blood and dirt. He couldn't see the face until the boy attempted to get up. He stood with his eyes wide as he watched Mitsui prop himself up with one arm, the other arm lying limply at his side. As soon as the Point Guard managed to get up on his knees, one of the gang boys smashed his elbows down onto the back of Mitsui's neck. Rukawa involuntarily cringed as he saw the senior fall back to the ground.  
  
"Now... we end this..." The leader of the group announced as he brought up a pipe over his head. He felt a tap on his shoulder and as soon as he turned around a clean straight punch connected with his cheek. He staggered back from the hit, dropping the pipe in the process. He looked up at the perpetrator, still dazed from the blow.  
  
"No, we're not wimps." Rukawa stated coldly, his face still blank like always. He stepped forward and landed another hit to the boy's stomach, causing the boy to fall to the floor.  
  
"You bastard!" One of the other gang members screamed out as he struck Rukawa across the cheek. Rukawa stumbled back a step. When he licked his lips, he tasted the salty iron flavor of blood. He narrowed his eyes and returned the favor given to him, nearly knocking the boy unconscious. The three other gang members soon joined in their companions' defense. All Mitsui could do was lie there on the ground and watch through his blood crusted eyelashes.  
  
"Rukawa, don't..." He tried to say before everything turned hazy. He gave into the feeling and closed his eyes until his world became blank. 


	2. Bandages and More

Title: Don't Need You  
  
Part: 2/5  
  
Author: MicchiKo  
  
E-mail: MicchiKo@aol.com  
  
Genre: Yaoi, Sap, some Violence  
  
Pairings: MitRu/RuMit  
  
Rating: R  
  
Archive: None yet  
  
Notes: erm..... mind is blank... -_-  
  
Don't Need You  
  
by MicchiKo  
  
Part Two  
  
A light winter breeze coming in from the window woke Mitsui up. He furrowed his brows only to find that it hurt when he did so. He felt a ring of pressure around his head and tried to reach up to find out what it was. He flinched when he discovered how much it hurt to move his arms even slightly. He opened his eyes and slowly raised his hand to finger the bandages that were snuggly wrapped around his head. He let the arm fall back to its place and blinked several times, trying to clear his mind so he could think. When he looked around, he found that he wasn't in his own room. The room he was in was stark and barely furnished, resulting in its overall neatness.  
  
Where...? He asked himself as he tried to get up. Every single muscle in his body ached. He could barely raise his head without feeling the strain in his neck. He tried to clench his fists but found that the small act alone created too much stress on his forearms. He couldn't bend his left wrist and when he looked down, he saw that bandaged onto his arm was a small wooden plank. In vain, he tried to move his legs. It then occurred to him that the same had been done to his right shin. Forgetting the question of where he was, he cursed to himself about how he wouldn't be able to play basketball for at least a few weeks. He relaxed back against the bed in defeat, trying to recall what had happened. He had been walking home when all of a sudden... And then before he knew it, he was on the ground about to be pounded with a pipe until...  
  
"Are you feeling ok?"  
  
Mitsui looked up. "Rukawa..." He stared at the other boy. The tall freshman was still dressed in his school uniform, which was disheveled and stained with a few splotches of blood. He walked over to Mitsui, carrying a tray with a cup of water and a bowl of soup. When he came closer, Mitsui saw the trail of dried blood that ran from the younger boy's temple to his jaw. He also saw the ugly purple bruise that tainted the perfect cheek on the perfect pale face.  
  
"You..." Mitsui trailed off, looking down at his own half-naked bandaged body. For the first time he noticed that blood had already seeped through the material. Rukawa looked at the senior, waiting for the other boy to finish his sentence. "Thanks..." was all Mitsui could utter. He didn't think that of all people to help him it would be none other than Shohoku's cold emotionless fox.  
  
"You really need to go to the hospital." Rukawa stated as he set down the tray on the adjacent desk. Mitsui frowned.  
  
"I don't intend to spend anymore time there than I already have." He replied bitterly, thinking back about the incident with his knee. "I'll be fine." He reassured, more to himself than Rukawa. He knew that going to the hospital would probably be the best solution, but he refused to be reminded of what had happened before. Besides, there was always that impending fear of being told he wouldn't be able to play ever again.  
  
"If you don't go, your condition could get worse." Rukawa warned. "You might have a fractured bone."  
  
"I'll wait it out for a few days." Mitsui insisted. Rukawa narrowed his eyes but said nothing.  
  
"We should change your bandages." Rukawa suggested as he left the room and returned with some fresh bindings, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, and a bag of cotton balls. "Can you sit up?" He asked, placing the items on the bed. Mitsui frowned as he tried to use his uninjured arm to push upper body off the bed, the soreness in his muscles clearly telling him they were too weak to move. Upon seeing his struggle, Rukawa swiftly braced Mitsui from behind, offering to help support the older boy's weight. When it seemed as though Mitsui was ready, Rukawa sat down on the bed next to the older boy. He leaned over and began unwrapping the cloth around Mitsui's head.  
  
To say he was gentle would be false. When Mitsui thought of gentle, he thought of the sweetest guy in Shohoku, Kogure Kiminobu. Rukawa was more... dutiful?... he supposed. The younger boy didn't treat him like a Ming vase that would crack at any moment -- not that he minded the extra carefulness but it was something... different, in a way. He looked at the boy in front of him, his eyes leading to a bloodstain on Rukawa's white shirt -- whether it was the boy's or his own, he couldn't tell. Somewhere in the back of his mind he thought about how the stain would probably not come off, forgetting about the state of his own uniform.  
  
"This is gonna sting." Rukawa stated, breaking Mitsui's train of thought as he dabbed a cotton ball with alcohol. Just as Rukawa had said, it did sting as the younger boy attempted to clean the wound on Mitsui's temples.   
  
"Look that way." Rukawa commanded.   
  
The Point Guard tried not to make a face as Rukawa moved on to the gash on the back of his head that resulted from the collision into the wall. He thanked god when the younger boy began redressing the wounds. Rukawa then took Mitsui's arm, unwrapping the material mechanically.   
  
At first Mitsui watched as the cloth unraveled. Before long however, he turned his attention to other things. He stared at Rukawa's slender, controlled fingers. He couldn't help but wonder how the boy was able to be so good at handling a ball when they seemed so fragile. His eyes wandered up the muscular arms and then stopped at the beautifully shaped face. He stared at the bruise. He found it so extremely strange how even with the temporary imperfection, Rukawa's face still looked... well... perfect. From the sharp eyes, to the high nose, to the tight mouth. The mouth. With its thin lips. Right at that moment, those same lips unconsciously pressed together and pursed out ever so slightly. Mitsui found himself wondering what they would feel like against his own. He blinked and shook his head. What am I thinking? Must've been hit one too many times on the head... he said to himself.  
  
He looked back up at Rukawa's whole face and he was then reminded of the trail of dried blood.  
  
"You know you should really take care of that." He motioned to the other boy.  
  
"It's alright." Rukawa answered blankly as he wiped the side of his face against his shoulder. Small flakes of crusted blood brushed off onto the shirt, the rest of them still clung randomly to the boy's face. "Lie back down." Rukawa ordered flatly. It was the same tone he had used before when he told Mitsui to look the other way. Mitsui complied, trying to suppress the small tug upwards at the corners of his mouth. "What?" Rukawa asked skeptically. The grin was practically plastered on the older boy's face.  
  
"Nothing..." Mitsui finally smiled freely in amusement. "I suppose you're not one to care about seniority." Arrogant freshman... he thought to himself as he tried to relax on the bed.  
  
Rukawa thought for a moment. "I guess not..." He answered simply. Coming from anyone else the reply would've been plain snobbish. But coming from Rukawa... it was just plain typical.  
  
Without any warning, the younger boy removed the sheets that rested on Mitsui's body. Mitsui instantly felt the slight chill in the room on his warmed legs. He suddenly noticed that he was dressed only in his boxers and for some reason that made him feel oddly vulnerable. He continued looking straight up at the ceiling, thinking of nothing in particular. It just occurred to him how he barely knew Rukawa. The only thing he knew about the boy was that he was an exceptional basketball player. Well, of course he knew that the boy bickered with Hanamichi during every practice. And then there was Rukawa's strange narcoleptic habit. But anything beyond that was a complete mystery.  
  
"Your parents aren't home?" He asked, almost impulsively.  
  
"They're away for the weekend." Rukawa left the conversation at that as he sat on the lower half of the bed to tend to the scrapes on Mitsui's legs.  
  
"You know, you really shouldn't have punched that guy out..." Mitsui brought up, wondering how they were going to explain this to the others -- most of all, Anzai-sensei.  
  
"Next time I'll remember to leave you in the gutter then." Rukawa answered sarcastically as he began to rebind the bandages on the other boy's legs.  
  
Mitsui furrowed his brows at the ceiling. "That's not the point.... you know how we promised not to fight again. What are you going to do if Anzai-sensei forbids you to play in the next game?"  
  
He felt Rukawa's movements pause for a moment, as if it had just occurred to the other boy the consequences of his actions. Before long, Rukawa began to continue his task. He said nothing but Mitsui was certain that the younger boy was contemplating the same thing he was.  
  
"We'll see when the time comes..." Rukawa murmured quietly.  
  
"I guess...." Mitsui agreed, still staring up at the ceiling. He took a deep breath and exhaled. The sudden inhalation of cold air reminded him of the temperature of the room. Winter's here, he thought to himself. He resumed thinking about what he was going to do about not being able to play for the next few weeks. How did I get into this mess, he kept on asking himself. Just when he thought that his past was behind him, it came right back to haunt him again. If only I wasn't so stubborn from the beginning...  
  
The feeling of regret was frustrating. It was something that always sat in the back of his mind and what made it worse was that nothing could be done about it. What's done is done. End of story. He had to constantly tell himself that all he could do was try to make up for lost time, since regret accomplished nothing anyway. He just *had* to get back to playing as soon as possible.  
  
"I'm gonna go now..." He announced, trying to sit up as Rukawa finished tying up the last bandage.  
  
"You're in no condition to go anywhere." The younger boy narrowed his eyes at Mitsui.  
  
"I'm fine." Mitsui replied in a harsher tone than he had intended. He was just sick of people telling him that he wasn't in "good enough condition" to do anything. Although every muscle in his body pleaded with Mitsui to rest, he ignored their wish and forced himself to sit up despite the pain. Rukawa rose from the bed as the older boy attempted to put his feet on the ground. When Mitsui was finally sitting on the edge of the bed, he sat there, resting for a moment. It wasn't even so much the pain that bothered him but more the feeling that he had no energy. He knew he was stupid for contemplating going back, especially when he didn't even know where Rukawa's house was. Still, he had to go back. He had to get better so he could play again and staying in the hospital or anywhere for that matter, was not going to get the job done.  
  
Resolutely, he pushed himself off the bed and onto his feet. However, he realized that he had greatly underestimated the state of his legs as they gave out from under him. Like a cat, Rukawa swiftly stepped forward and braced the other boy in his arms. As a result, by instinct, Mitsui grabbed onto Rukawa's waist. He knelt like that for a moment as a pink tinge rose to his cheeks. Unconsciously, he buried his face in Rukawa's shirt out of embarrassment for having insisted on leaving despite the fact that he knew the other boy was right. Surprisingly, he liked the way Rukawa felt warm against him, especially with the cool wind circulating around them. It made him feel cozy and... protected. It wasn't until he felt the slight bulge in Rukawa's pants against his chest did he notice that he had been holding on so tightly. Almost immediately, he let go of the other boy and fell back against the side of the bed. He winced at the impact.  
  
"Stay here for the night. You're going to the hospital in the morning." Rukawa proclaimed.  
  
"We'll see when the time comes..." Mitsui shot back the same evasive reply that the younger boy had given him earlier. He saw Rukawa frown ever so slightly at his mockery and he grinned. Perhaps it was due to the fact that the boy was so unexpressive of his thoughts but for one reason or another, Mitsui couldn't help but enjoy seeing the small traces of emotion flicker across Rukawa's face. "Am I taking your bed?" He asked as he tried to get up again.  
  
"Can you make it anywhere else?"  
  
Mitsui couldn't decide whether to frown or grin. That smartass... he thought, bemused as he lay back down on the bed. He gave an exasperated sigh and closed his eyes. For the first time the whole night, he was willing to admit that he was truly tired. He looked over and watched as Rukawa gathered another set of sheets. Just as the other boy was about to walk out, in a barely audible voice he said, "... thanks."  
  
Rukawa looked back over his shoulder at the other boy. "Just don't be an idiot about it."  
  
Mitsui smirked. He never stops, does he?   
  
"I'll remember that." He replied dryly.  
  
Even after Rukawa had left and turned out the lights, he lay there, still staring up at the ceiling. Don't be an idiot about it, huh? He finally closed his eyes to sleep. The light winter breeze still flowed in through the window, rustling his unkempt hair as it touched everything else in the room as well. 


End file.
